Lotus creates sound technology for the blind

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When we think about hybrid cars and the environment, there’s one form of pollution that is frequently overlooked (or should that be underheard?): noise. Hybrids are often quiet little critters. Though this can be perceived as a positive, for blind and partially sighted people, it’s yet another hazard.

So Lotus has devised a way for vehicles operating under hushed electric power to announce their presence. Called Safe & Sound, it synthesizes the noise of an internal combustion engine, which is then played through a waterproof 300-watt loudspeaker system mounted at the front of the car. Depending on how fast the vehicle is traveling, the pitch of the ‘engine note’ changes accordingly.

If the hybrid’s conventional engine starts operating (at higher speeds or throttle demands or lower battery levels), the playback stops automatically. And when the powertrain management reverts to just the electric motor, the sound system kicks in again. It’s all completely automatic and the driver hears almost none of the additional soundtrack. Although Lotus is a British company, this technology could apply to any appropriate vehicle around the world.

Pardon the pun, but it also sounds like a marketing opportunity waiting to happen. Drivers using this system could purchase chips with different engine noises, like the distinctive bark of a Porsche 911, the yowl of a Ferrari V8, or the burble of an old Cadillac. A Baskin-Robbins/Ben & Jerry/Häagen-Dazs consortium of ice cream makers could sponsor an old-fashioned chiming sound, replicating ice cream trucks of the past and sending subconscious signals to get people to buy more of their products. Or how about one that just says ‘Vote for Obama’?

-- Colin Ryan

Diagram: Lotus

Link to L.A. Times Story: Blind pedestrians may not hear hybrid cars